Cong leader Divyanshu Budhiraja acquitted in 8-year-old case

Congress leader and former Lok Sabha candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja has been acquitted by a court in an eight-year-old case registered during a student interaction programme held in Panchkula in 2018, where questions were asked to former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The court cleared Budhiraja and five others of all charges, bringing an end to a prolonged legal battle.

Welcoming the court’s decision, Budhiraja expressed gratitude to the judiciary and described the verdict as a victory of truth. He said the judgement reaffirmed that raising one’s voice in a democracy was not a crime, but a means to strengthen democratic values.

According to the FIR registered at the Sector-5 police station in Panchkula on January 12, 2018, the case was related to an incident during a student interaction programme held at the Government College, Sector 1, Panchkula, where the then Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was present.

As per the FIR, after the programme ended, a group of five to six youth allegedly attempted to approach and stop the Chief Minister’s convoy. The police personnel on duty reportedly tried to stop them, but youth allegedly raised slogans, showed black flags and obstructed the official convoy. The FIR also alleged that when the police tried to remove them, there was pushing and jostling with the security personnel, which was termed as obstruction in government duty.

Following the incident, the police registered a case under Sections 147 (rioting), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty) of the IPC. Divyanshu Budhiraja and others were named among the accused in the FIR.

The court has now acquitted all the accused in the case after nearly eight years of legal proceedings. Budhiraja alleged that the case registered against him was politically motivated and intended to damage his public image and prevent him from raising issues related to students and public welfare. He also claimed that during the Lok Sabha elections, attempts were made to entangle him in legal procedures to affect his campaign.

Budhiraja stated that he would continue to raise issues concerning students, unemployed youth, farmers, labourers and the underprivileged. He added that the case registered under various IPC sections in 2018 was dismissed by the court.